By Mark Verges, Vice President of Franchise Development at Chicken Salad Chick
As Americans continue to seek fresh, flavorful, and community-centered dining options, Chicken Salad Chick is strengthening its footprint across the Southeast. In 2025, we signed six new franchise agreements to expand our presence in Florida, a market that strongly reflects our brand’s commitment to warm hospitality, neighborhood connection, and made-from-scratch food that is served with heart. With an additional 13 Florida restaurants currently in development, Chicken Salad Chick is creating new opportunities for local business owners while introducing guests to an experience rooted in consistency, care, and connection.
A Growth Market That Matters
Chicken Salad Chick was founded less than 100 miles from the Florida state line in Auburn, Alabama. From the beginning, hospitality has been embedded in our operations as a standard for how guests are treated and how teams show up every day. When paired with a simple yet differentiated menu, that commitment to hospitality has helped Chicken Salad Chick grow from a local favorite into a fast-casual concept with a passionate national following.
At the core of that growth has been the belief that made-from-scratch chicken salad can be at the center of a dining experience that is focused on connection and community. While menus evolve and consumer preferences shift, guests continue to gravitate toward food that feels familiar and thoughtfully prepared. That balance has allowed our brand to resonate across markets while maintaining a consistent identity.
One of the country’s top markets for growth, our rapid expansion in Florida is a testament to the momentum and enthusiasm for the Chicken Salad Chick concept. The steady population growth, strong entrepreneurial communities, and a mix of urban, suburban, and coastal lifestyles creates an environment where franchise businesses can thrive.
Supporting Local Entrepreneurs
Each of our franchise partners shares Chicken Salad Chick’s philosophy that restaurant success starts with the people, whether it’s their team members, the guests they serve, or the community organizations they support. Investing in operators who understand their communities is a tenet of our franchise strategy. We seek partners who are not only skilled in business operations, but whose values align with Chicken Salad Chick’s mission to spread joy, enrich lives, and serve others.
That approach takes shape differently in every market. On Florida’s Space Coast, Cathy and James Brown, along with Allison and Stuart Gibson, are a family team bringing Chicken Salad Chick to residents and visitors alike with a neighborly dining destination. Holly and Chris Eakes are introducing the brand to Lakeland, where the tight-knit community is known for its strong local pride.
Franchise development has a tangible, real-world impact. Each new restaurant serves as a critical contributor to the local economy by creating jobs and offering opportunities for professional growth while also providing a welcoming place where families, friends, and neighbors can gather to connect over a meal. At Chicken Salad Chick, community engagement is part of our foundation. Our franchise partners actively support their neighborhoods by hosting fundraisers, partnering with local non-profit organizations, and collaborating with schools and food banks. From celebratory giveaways to charitable initiatives, our operators go beyond the four walls of the restaurant to strengthen the communities they serve. Ultimately, franchise growth is more than opening a new location. It’s about building lasting economic and social connections.
Building Sustainable Momentum
As Chicken Salad Chick continues to scale, Florida represents more than a single growth market. It’s the blueprint for how we approach thoughtful expansion into new regions, intentionally focusing on places where our brand values resonate and where demand exists for a fast-casual concept rooted in quality, consistency, and hospitality. As the brand grows, it’s important to stay true to these values that make Chicken Salad Chick unique. By prioritizing the right operators, infrastructure, and community alignment, we are laying the groundwork to set our franchise partners up for sustainable, long-term success.
Looking ahead, our expansion strategy will continue to be guided by purpose as much as performance. It’s crucial to maintain the culture and standards that have defined Chicken Salad Chick from the beginning. Each new market is an opportunity to deepen our impact economically, culturally, and within the communities we serve. By keeping people first, we can continue to build our connection to more guests and neighborhoods across the country. Most importantly, we are excited to introduce even more people to the Chicken Salad Chick experience, where every scoop of chicken salad is made with care and every guest is welcomed like family.